Named the "Best Blog" by Parent & Child Magazine, this popular mom blog chronicles the wonderful mundaneness of a Philadelphia stay-at-home mom's life with four small children including twins in episodic form. Recurrent topics include adoption, multiples, Fifth Disease, Crohn's Disease and pregnancy, and academia.

March 2, 2009

The Hunting & Fishing Expo

On Saturday, my husband and I took the kids to a hunting & fishing expo held at the local mega church. We don't hunt, but we do like camo outerwear and mounted animal heads and we felt pretty confident that we would see a lot of both.

We were not disappointed.

The expo hall was filled to the brim with objects that raise eyebrows, cause the stomach to quiver, and make you question why you eat meat. My kids LOVED it.

After petting several animal hides with the heads still attached (eyes open, mouths gaping/growling) and examining an impressive collection of meat grinders and buck knives, we made our way to the the taxidermy room which, on Sundays, is Jesus' Joy School.

Upon entering the room and into Jesus' loving arms (at least that's what the painted wall mural said), we were pointed in the direction of a large display of stuffed animals, fowls, and fish. My husband pulled his baseball cap down over his eyes while I snapped pictures of the kids pretending to kiss dead antelopes on my camera phone (I would have included said pictures if I knew how to get the images off my phone).

"We've got to get one of these," said Cortlen, pointing at a gigantic moose head with a five-foot antler wing span.

"Maybe for your birthday," I promised.

"Why don't we just stuff Biscuit (our cat) when she dies?" said my husband. Behind the sarcasm was a very good idea.

As if on cue, the taxidermist handed me his business card.

When I got home, I took a closer look at our aging cat.

I think she will make a very nice throw pillow.

***Have you signed up for the giveaway (below) yet? If not, then get going!

22 comments

In the movie 'Coraline', there are two ladies who live downstairs with three living scottish terriers and a wall full of deceased, taxidermied ones. I've really never understood stuffing animals, but remember as a child being very fond of the moose and bear at the 5th Ave. entrance to our mall, as well as the stuffed badger at the local museum. Our kids get particularly creeped out by the stuffed litter of opossums at the science museum.

You really need to come to my neck of the woods. If the kids at my daughter's high school could pick new school colors I'm sure they would choose a lovely camo print and have the sports uniforms re-done......it's scary.

Ha Ha Ha. We've joked about having our cat stuffed before too. My husband has even joked about having him stuffed and perched up on the couch or lying on our bed when he dies, to keep me company. Thanks for the laugh.

My husband is from small-town Utah and has several hunting aficionados in his extended family. One house has no less than 25 stuffed animals in the front room.... deers, moose, bears... no joke! I think it's the best place to take my kids if I want them to have nightmares all night.

My mom lost a bet to my dad once and her "prize" was a stuffed porcupine in attach position mounted on a tree stub. My dad insisted my mom keep it in the front window so everyone could enjoy it. It wasn't until its quills ended up in several family members bodies that my mom talked my dad into moving it into the den.

That was one of the few positive things about my divorce....when my husband left I made him take his wretched deer head with him! Lol! We're still friends, but I'm sure glad those glassy eyeballs are no longer watching me undress! Kinda creepy.....

The camo outerwear is nice but my my personal favorite is the camouflage UNDERWEAR! You can check it out in any Cabela's catalog--where male models pose cozily inside a rustic cabin around a blazing fire in their long underwear (of various camo patterns--"tree bark" being one of my favorites) with large rifles in hand. I guess they must be ever vigilant for the perfect huntin' opportunity!

Or, if you happen to be "lucky" enough to have an actual Cabelas store nearby--you can check out the camo underwear--and tons more huntin' and fishin' stuff--including home decor! Then you wouldn't have to wait for the Huntin and Fishin expo, you could visit the store whenever you are in the mood! :0)